Spacious Places – The River

Read the light and have a dreamIn your hidden garden.No need for words.

The words are but shadowsOf stories never said,Shining from distant kingdoms,Reminding you of a forgotten home.

Light rays will tell you the story.There is another alphabetWhispering from every leaf,Singing from every river,Shimmering from every sky.

As a young girl, summer’s highlight was to go to a 4-H camp around Nebraska and experienced a variety of outdoor activities. One of my favorite things to do (where I guess you could say I felt most at home while at camp) was to spend a lazy afternoon floating down one of the many Nebraska rivers. In fact, 36 years ago, on our honeymoon in Valentine, Nebraska Bob and I “tubed” down the Niobrara river.

In July, Bob and I took a road trip out west to experience some of the adventures we haven’t been able to enjoy for quite some time!

The feelings I had are difficult to describe as we set off tubing down the Niobrara River on a sweltering July afternoon. Perhaps it can be likened to how you feel when you arrive home after a long, long journey and can finally rest. Your home feels familiar yet different, and the peace you experienceis beyond mere words.

That glorious afternoon on the river, I experienced the joy of rediscovering a forgotten home with “feelings too loud for words and too shy for the world.” Let me share with you what I saw and experienced and just as the poet said, “no need for words.”